Greens re-enter Southport MP race

Greens re-enter Southport MP race

The Green Party has selected Laurence Rankin as their parliamentary candidate for Southport after ruling out any deal with Labour or the Lib Dems.

Members of the Sefton Green Party voted against a repeat of their “progressive alliance” policy of 2017 when they took their name off the ballot in Southport and urged supporters to lend their vote to the party best-placed to beat the Conservatives.

Laurence, who has lived in Southport for more than 30 years and is a retired Environment Agency manager, said: “The Greens share a positive vision for the future based on a sustainable environment, secure health and social care, and sensible economics that work for people rather than speculators.

“Our precious environment and green spaces are being lost to development, and, ironically, while we enjoy a coastline with fantastic renewable energy potential, we have the threat of Fracking on our doorstep.

“Southport suffers with many other places the burden of austerity, which has decimated local services and could get worse after Brexit. The two main political parties remain in total disarray and division and we need to ensure a People’s Vote on any deal that comes out of the shambolic negotiations currently being pursued by the Government.”

In 2015 the Green Party polled 1,230 votes in the Southport constituency.

Laurence defended the Party against accusations that they were playing into Conservative hands by saying it was right that people have the chance to vote for what they believe in.

“Many Labour and Lib Dem voters tell us they agree with everything we stand for,” Laurence said. “To them we say vote with your conscience rather than for outdated, divided parties obsessed with outdated ideas of unsustainable growth.

“Increasingly we are also seeing (very shy) former Tory-voters joining us because they too are concerned at the way the environment is being sacrificed for profit. More than ever a vote for the Greens is the only way to secure a sustainable future for all.”